1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to polymerisation process for forming light emitting polymers and networks thereof. The light emitting polymer may be used as a source of electroluminescence for use in displays for electronic products.
2. Prior Art
Modern consumer electronics require cheap, high-contrast displays with good power efficiency and low drive voltages. Particular applications include displays for mobile phones and hand-held computers.
Conventional displays comprise twisted nematic liquid crystal displays (TN-LCDs) with active matrix addressing and super-twisted nematic liquid crystal displays (STN-LCDs) with multiplex addressing. These however require intense back lighting which presents a heavy drain on power. The low intrinsic brightness of LCDs is believed to be due to high losses of light caused by the absorbing polarizers and filters which can result in external transmission efficiencies of as low as 4%.
Among the materials that may be used in displays are those that formed by thermally inducing the crosslinking of oligomers of p-phenylenevinylene. Films of these reactive mesogens are photoluminescent and not electroluminescent. Electroluminescent materials have the advantage of being useful as the active medium in electronically powered light sources for such applications as electronic displays, electric lights, lasers, etc. In addition, materials that display electroluminescence are often also useful as the active medium in light detectors, solar cells, electronic logic devices such as transistors. Accordingly, there is a strong need in the art for a material that may be used in display devices that has good power efficiency, uses a low drive voltage, does not require a polarizer, has high transmission efficiency and/or is electroluminescent.